ADC Crisis: Mark-Led Faction Sues INEC Over Party Leadership Removal

A major leadership crisis has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a faction led by former Senate President, David Mark, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the removal of key party leaders from its official records.

The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, is challenging INEC’s decision to delete the names of Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its portal on April 1, 2026.

Through his lawyer, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), the Mark-led faction is seeking a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to restore the ADC leadership as it existed before the dispute. The plaintiffs argue that the commission’s action is unlawful and has deepened the ongoing ADC leadership crisis.

The court filings further seek an order setting aside INEC’s decision and directing the electoral body to reinstate the entire National Working Committee (NWC), including members of the National Executive Committee. The faction is also asking the court to restrain INEC from recognising any rival leadership pending the final determination of the case.

According to the applicants, INEC’s action contradicts an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal delivered on March 12, which directed all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum—meaning the leadership structure should remain unchanged until the dispute is resolved.

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Counsel to the faction argued that as of September 2025, when the initial suit was instituted, Mark was the duly recognised National Chairman of the ADC, with a validly constituted leadership structure already in place. He added that the plaintiff in the originating suit, Nafiu Gombe, had resigned his previous position and had no subsisting role within the party.

The lawyer maintained that INEC’s removal of the leadership names amounts to non-recognition of a valid party structure, creating confusion and a vacuum within the party. He warned that the development could destabilise the ADC and weaken its internal operations if not urgently addressed.

In addition to seeking restoration of the leadership, the Mark-led faction has filed a separate application for an accelerated hearing, urging the court to fast-track the case due to its urgency and potential impact on Nigeria’s political landscape.

The motion is requesting shortened timelines for filing processes and day-to-day hearings until the matter is concluded. According to the legal team, the prolonged dispute could lead to the emergence of parallel leadership factions, further complicating the party’s structure.

The origins of the crisis date back to September 2025 when the Federal High Court declined an ex parte application by Gombe to halt the activities of the Mark-led leadership. The matter later moved to the Court of Appeal, which directed all parties to return to the lower court and maintain the existing structure pending final resolution.

In the substantive suit, Gombe listed the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, INEC, and Ralph Nwosu as defendants. Nwosu had earlier stepped down, paving the way for Mark’s emergence as national chairman.

The ongoing ADC vs INEC court case is expected to test the boundaries of INEC’s authority in internal party disputes and could have far-reaching implications for party leadership recognition in Nigeria.

ADC Crisis: Mark-Led Faction Sues INEC Over Party Leadership Removal

ADC Leadership Crisis Deepens as Rival Faction Protests at INEC Headquarters

A fresh wave of internal crisis has hit the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a rival faction of the party, led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, staged a protest on Thursday at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

The demonstrators, who gathered in significant numbers, called on a separate faction reportedly aligned with prominent political figures—including David Mark, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso—to desist from interfering in the party’s internal affairs.

Leading the protest, Nafiu Bala Gombe insisted that the integrity and independence of the ADC must be preserved, warning against what he described as external influence and imposition of leadership within the party structure.

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He was joined by a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, who represents a constituency in Kogi State. Abejide echoed concerns over what the group termed attempts to destabilise the party through parallel leadership claims.

The protesters urged INEC to uphold the rule of law by strictly adhering to a recent court ruling concerning the party’s leadership dispute. They specifically called on the electoral body to maintain the “status quo ante bellum”—a legal term referring to the state of affairs before the emergence of the current conflict—pending final resolution of the matter.

Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards, the group emphasised the need for transparency, judicial compliance, and neutrality in the commission’s handling of party affairs.

The development marks a further escalation in the ADC’s internal wrangling, raising concerns about the party’s stability ahead of future political engagements.

ADC Leadership Crisis Deepens as Rival Faction Protests at INEC Headquarters

Court Stops ADC Congress, Orders Status Quo in Leadership Row

A High Court in Katsina State has issued an interim order restraining key members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from parading themselves as officials of the party in the state and barred the conduct of any party congress pending the determination of a suit before the court.

The order followed an ex parte motion filed by Usman Wamba, who claims to be the legitimate Katsina State Chairman of the ADC. Wamba approached the court to challenge what he described as attempts by rival party members to usurp his position and authority.

In a ruling delivered by Justice A. K. Tukur on April 7, 2026, the court restrained Lawan Batagarawa and Babangida Ibrahim Mahuta from presenting themselves as leaders or stakeholders of the ADC Katsina chapter. They were also prohibited from conducting any party activities or organising congresses until the motion on notice is fully heard and determined.

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The court further restrained the national leadership of the ADC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising, supervising, or participating in any congress organised by the defendants in Katsina State. Justice Tukur ordered all parties to maintain the status quo concerning leadership and activities of the party in the state.

Additionally, the court granted Wamba leave to serve the defendants outside Katsina State, including in Abuja, via courier. The substantive hearing of the motion has been scheduled for April 15, 2026.

ADC’s Katsina State legal adviser, Barrister Mustapha Shiru Mahuta, confirmed receipt of the court order, saying the party’s legal team was reviewing it and preparing for further actions.

The injunction comes amid a protracted leadership crisis within the ADC Katsina chapter, which has seen rival factions claiming legitimate authority ahead of congresses intended to position the party for the 2027 general elections. The court’s ruling effectively halts all planned congresses at ward, local government, and state levels in Katsina.

Political analysts note that the case highlights how internal party disputes can escalate into legal battles, disrupting organisational structures and delaying preparations for wider political engagement.

Court Stops ADC Congress, Orders Status Quo in Leadership Row